Arms imports by European countries shot up by 155% in the period 2020-2024, in comparison with 2015-2019, and, despite the challenges of the Swords of Iron war, Israel rose to eight place for arms exports, displacing Spain, according to the annual report of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), which monitors the global arms trade.
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In last year’s report, which covered the period 2019-2023, Spain accounted for 2.7% of all arms exports, and Israel 2.4%. In the current report, covering 2020-2024, Israel’s share of arms exports is 3.1%, and that of Spain 3%. Above Israel are such countries as the UK (3.6%), Italy (4.8%), Germany (5.6%), Russia (7.8%), and France (9.6%). The US remains far and away the largest exporter of arms, with 43% of the total. The three largest importers of arms from Israel in this period were India (34%), the US (13%), and the Philippines (8.1%).
Israel was the third largest importer of arms from Germany in the period, taking 11% of Germany’s total exports, and was eleventh among the importers of arms from the US, at 3% of total US defense exports.
Israel was in fifteenth place worldwide for arms imports, accounting for 1.9% of total imports, which is similar to the proportion in the previous five-year period.
Israel stands out as a supplier of arms to major countries such as India and the US. In both cases, Israel is the third largest source of arms imports (13%). Israel is in second place in imports by the UK (6.9%), the Philippines (27%), and Germany (13%), and in third place for Morocco (11%).
According to the SIPRI report, arms imports by Ukraine increased by a massive 9,627% in 2020-2024 in comparison with 2015-2019. Ukraine’s war with Russia began with the latter’s invasion in 2022. This puts Ukraine first among arms importers worldwide, with 8.8% of the total, followed by India, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan.
In fact, in the past five years, Ukraine was the only European country among the top ten arms importers, its main sources being the US (45%), Germany (12%), and Poland (11%).
Published by Globes, Israel business news – en.globes.co.il – on March 10, 2025.
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